fixer-upper

Meanings

nounfixer-upper (plural fixer-uppers)

USinformalA house, property, car, or other object that needs to be fixed up or repaired, often purchased as an investment.
2003, Jay P. DeCima, Investing in Fixer-Uppers: A Complete Guide to Buying Low, Fixing Smart, Adding Value, and Selling (or Renting) High, McGraw-Hill Professional, →ISBN.
broadlyinformalA potential romantic partner who may need some motivation to improve their personality or habits.
Don't be seduced into a relationship with someone who seems to be a "fixer-upper." Attempts at renovating people usually fail.
2000, Susan Curtin Kelley, Dale Burg, The Second Time Around
informalA person who tinkers or fixes things up; in particular, someone who fixes up houses, properties, etc. as an investment.

Similar

Also see

From a reduplicating suffixation of fix up, equivalent to fix + -er + up + -er.

Danish håndværkertilbud

Hungarian felújítandó tárgy/dolog/holmi

Cite this entry

APA

fixer-upper. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fixer-upper

MLA

“fixer-upper.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fixer-upper. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fixer-upper,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fixer-upper.